WINNER STORY · EUROMILLIONS
The Connollys won £115m on EuroMillions and have given about half of it away
A former teacher and her husband won on New Year’s Day 2019. Their first buy was a pack of M&S knickers. Since then they’ve given away tens of millions.
- Prize
- £114,969,775
- Game
- EuroMillions
- Draw
- 1 January 2019
- Where
- Hartlepool
Frances and Patrick Connolly, known as Paddy, started 2019 as a former teacher and a businessman living in Hartlepool. The couple are originally from Northern Ireland.
On New Year’s Day their ticket won £114,969,775 on EuroMillions. At the time it was one of the biggest lottery wins the UK had ever seen.
Three pairs of knickers
The couple went public at a press conference a few days later. They had packed in such a rush that Frances had to ring her daughter and ask her to pop to Marks & Spencer. So their first buy as multi-millionaires was a pack of knickers for about £12.
Giving it away
Frances decided early on that the money would be shared. Family and friends were first, then strangers and local causes. In September 2026 she said they had given away around half of the jackpot.
She set up two charities, the PFC Trust and the Kathleen Graham Foundation, named after her mum. The money has paid for things like:
- Respite caravans for young carers.
- Tablets and laptops for older people during lockdown.
- Defibrillators for local sports clubs.
- Emergency food parcels and help for refugees.
- Sponsorship for young athletes in the North East.
“I get to change people’s lives. I’m addicted to it.” Frances Connolly
What they kept
They haven’t given everything away. They bought a big six-bedroom house with land in the North East, Paddy drives a second-hand Aston Martin, and they enjoy good holidays. Paddy still runs his plastics business.
Where are they now?
For her 60th birthday, Frances launched a 60 for 60 challenge, with athletes taking on endurance events to raise money for her trust. Her charity work is run with the help of hundreds of volunteers.
What other winners can learn
- Decide who you want to help before the requests start.
- Setting up a charity or trust gives your giving a structure, and helps you say no to people you don’t know.
- Keep enough for yourself. The Connollys still live well.
Compare their story with Michael Carroll, who won £9.7m and spent the lot within eight years.